Fireproof legging



Jan. 8 1924.

E. L. WHEELER FIREPRooF LEGGING Filed Dec.

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l N VEN TOR w50/v L. l/l/Hfa A? A TTORNEY.

Patented Jan. 8, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE-,-

EDISON L. WHEELER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 F. H. WHEELER MANU-FACTURING CO., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

'FIREPROOF LEGGING.

Application filed December 27, 1921. Serial No. 524,867.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be .it known that I, EDISON L. VHEELER, a citizen of the vUnited States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Fireproof Leggings, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved form -of lire proof `legging for usein foundries, forge shops, vblast furnaces, etc., where work- .meneither handle very hotmaterial .or are obligedto work in close vicinityto said material, under which conditions unless protected from the heatthey would be in danger of burning their clothing and also themselves.In the past it has'been proposed to construct devices of this kind byusing a metal frame-work of steel bars and springs covered with a fabricof suitable kind as for example asbestos cloth or chemically treatedcanvas or duck. /Vhile these devices afford a certain degree ofprotection it has been found however that the metal bars. on account oftheir relativelyhigh conductivity for heat, become very highly heatedand arethe direct means of producing burns on the clothing and legs ofthe wearer. It is an object of my present invention to overcome thisdifficulty by constructing the body portion of the legging ofnon-conducting sheet material which is stiff and strong` enough tomaintain the shape of the legging andto which the other parts of thelegging are secured including a covering of fire proof fabric such asasbestos cloth. chemically treated canvas or duck. The material formingthe body portion of the legging is preferably shaped so that itnaturally will occupy a position fitting the leg of the wearer and thismaterial may be any suitable sheet material which is a nonconductor,such for example, `as vulcanized fiber or its equivalent. In myconstruction I use retaining springs at the upper and lower portion ofthe legging which springs however are preferably located 'outside of thenon-cond=ucting body of the legging and are provided at their ends, backof the body portion, with insulating material tovprevent their coming incontact with the clothing ofthe wearer. I also preferably provide mylegging with a iap 4of fire proof fabric extending rearwardly from one.of the back edges of the legging which may be tucked under the otherback edge to .completely protion of the body portiony l0 serveto holdthe tect the leg of the wearer without the use of fastening devices ,ofany kind, so that the legging may lbe quickly removed if melted metal,by any chance, should come in contact with it and adhere to it.

My invention will best be `understood by reference to 'the' accompanyingdrawings showing a preferred embodiment thereof in which- Fig. 1 showsmy improved legging in perspective view and Fig. 2 is a sectionalview'of the construction shown in Fig. 1 taken along .the linel 2 2. i

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

As yshown in the drawings my legging consists of a sheet ofnon-conducting mal terial 10, such for .example .as vulcanized fiber,which preferably is shaped to Vfit around the front and sides of thelower leg of the wearer and of va length sufficient to extend from theankle nearly to 'the knee. The body portion vhas `securedto its upperedge a spring 11 and to its loweredge a spring 12 which are .elliptical`-in v'shape and have their ends adjacent `.each other `on the back ofthe leg of the wearer when in use and which together with; thespringaclegging in place on the legof the wearer. The'springs 11 and 12are preferably of a good quality of spring steel and are of considerablewidth relatively to their thickness such for example as found in wideclock spring material, to provide that the pressure exerted upon the legofthe wearerfmay not be excessive and that the springs may yet hold thelegging firmly in position. The rear ends of the springs are connectedby vertical` stay members 13 and 14 by suitable .fastening devices suchas rivets 15 and 16. these stays being preferably of strip steelextending somewhat below the lower spring 1-2 for supporting the flare17 ofthe legging. The flare 17 is made of heavy canvas or leather andshaped to fit the-upper part of the foot to protectit from 'heatandmelted metal. The structure .above .described 'is vas covered withasheet of fire/resistant fabric f 18, suchas asbestos cloth,"leather korchemically treated canvas or duck, and lthis covering material is heldin placeA on the body portion by the rivets 15 and 16, the latter ofwhich also secure theflare 171 to the lower spring 12. The covering 18preferably extends somewhat above the upper spring l1, the projectingupper edge being gathered or otherwise made of somewhat smallerdimension than the spring 11 as for example by forming darts 19 in thesaid upper edge, to closely lit the trousers leg of the wearer andprevent hot material working down between 'the legging and the trousers.The covering 18 terminates at one edge at one of the reinforcing bars 13and at its other edge it is extended to 'lorm a flap 2O which is wrappedaround Athe back portion of the leg ot the wearer and held in place bybeing tucked under the opposite edge o't the legging in which positionit is held by the s rings 11 and 12.

Leggings constructed `as described have been found to afford a highdegree oi' protection to the wearer not only from heat on account of thebody portion oi the legging being constructed oit' non-conductingmaterial, but also from mechanical injury since the body portion 'isrelatively stili and not readily deformed by blows to which it besubjected in occupations in connection with which the leggings areserviceable.

ln practice it is found that the rear edges of the body portion 10 neednot extend to the rear edges of the legging and the portions ot thesprings between the rear edges oiz the body portion and the rear edgesot the legging are preferably covered with sleeves 21 oit non-conductingmaterial such 'for example as leather or canvas. These sleeve-s serve toprotect the leg ot the wearer romthe springs when they become highlyheated.

From the above it will be observed that have provided a constructionwhich is substantial and affords a high degree of protection to the legof the wearer from bot-h` heat and mechanical injury and that sincethere are no fastening devices employed, the legging may be instantlyremoved it melted metal should be thrown upon the same and adherethereto thus threatening to :injure the wearer.

liihile l have shown my invention in the particular embodiment abovedescribed, it will be understood that l do not limit inysel't to thisexact construction as l may einploy equivalents known to the art at thetime of the filing ot this application without departing from the scopeot the appended claims.

What l claim is:

1. ln a iire proof legging, the combination of a body portion of stilInon-conducting sheet material to fit the leg of the wearer, springsconnected with the upper and lower ends ot said body portion Jforencircling the leg of the wearer, and a covering of tire-resistantfabriccovering said body portion.

2. l'n a tire proof legging, the combination of a body portion of stitl'non-conducting sheet material to lit the leg of the wearer,- springsconnected with the upper and lower ends oi said body portion forencircling the leg of the wearer, and a covering of tire resistantfabric. covering said body portion, said covering extending above theupper one of said springs and constricted to closely fit the leg ot' thewearer.

3. In a tire proof legging, the combination of a body portion of stilinon-conducting sheet material to lit the leg oit the wearer, springsconnected with the upper and lower ends of said body portion forencircling the leg or' the wearer, a covering of fire resistant :fabriccovering said body portion, said covering and springs extendingrearwardly beyond each edge'oif said body portion, and reinforcing metalbars connecting the ends ot said springs.

11. ln a nre prooi' legging, the combination of a body portion ot' stiffnon-conducting sheet material to nt the leg of the wearer, springsconnected with the upper and lower ends ot said body portion vtorencircling the leg oiY the wearer, a covering ot fire resistant fabriccovering said body portion, said covering and springs extendingrearwardly beyond each edge of said body portion, reinforcing metal barsconnecting the ends of said springs, and sleeves oir non-conductingmaterial on said springs between said body portion and said bars. y

5. ln a lire proof legging, the combination ot a body portion or'stiil:1 non-conducting sheet material to lit the leg otl the wearer,springs connected with the upper and lower ends of said body portion forencircling the -leg ot the wearer, and a covering of fire resistantfabric covering said body portion, said covering extending bey-ond theends ot said springs on one sideof the legging to form a flap to protectthe back portion of the leg ot the wearer.

6. 1n a lire proof legging, the combination ol a body portion ol stiffnon-conducting sheet material to lit the leg` ofthe wearer, springsconnected with the upper and lower ends of said body portion torencircling the le of the wearer, a covering of fire resistant.

fa ric covering said body portion, said coveringand springs extendingrearwardly beyond each edge oi' said body portion, and reinforcing metalbars connecting the ends of said springs, said covering extending beyondthe ends or' said springs on one side of the legging to form a iiap toprotect the back portion of the leg of the wearer.

7. In a fire proof legging, the combination of a body portion of stiffnon-conducting sheet material to lit the leg ot' the wearer, springsconnected with the upper and lower ends of said body portion forencircling the legof the wearer, a covering oit' lire resistant fabriccovering said body portion,

said covering and springs extending rearwardly beyond each edge of saidbody portion, reinforcing metal bars connecting the ends of saidsprings, and sleeves of non-conducting material on said springs betweensaid body portion and said bars, said covering extending beyond the endsof said springs on one side of the legging to form a flap to protect theback portion of the leg of the wearer.

8. In a fire proof legging', the combination of fire resistant materialfor covering the leg of the wearer, springs secured to the upper andlower portions of said material for encircling the leg of the wearer,and sleeves of non-conducting material on said springs.

9. In a fire proof legging, the combination of a body portion of stiffnon-conducting sheet material shaped to lit the leg of the wearer,springs for encircling the leg of the wearer, a covering' of fireresistant material, and fastening devices extending through said bodyportion, said covering, and said springs, to secure said springs to theupper and lower ends of said legging and to secure said body portion andsaid covering together.

l0. In a lire proof legging, the combination of a. body portion of stiffnon-conducting' sheet material shaped to fit the leg of the wearer,springs for encircling the leg of the wearer, a covering of re resistantmaterial, and fastening devices extending through said body portion,said covering,

and said springs, to secure said springs to.

the upper and lower ends of said legging and to secure said body portionand said covering together, said covering and springs extendingrearwardly beyond each edge of said body portion, and reinforcing metalbars connecting the ends of said springs.

1l. In a lire proof legging, the combination of a body portion of stiffnon-conducting sheet material shaped to lit the leg of the wearer,springs for encircling the leg of the wearer, a covering' of fireresistant material, and fastening devices extending through Said bodyportion, said covering, and said springs, to secure said springs to theupper and lower ends of said legging and to secure said body portion andsaid covering together, said covering extending beyond the ends of saidsprings on one side of the levging to form a flap to protect the backportion of the leg of the wearer.

l2. In a lire proof legging, the combination of a body portion of stiffnon-conducting sheet material shaped to lit the leg of the wearer,springs for encircling the leg of the wearer, a covering of fireresistant material, fastening devices extending through said bodyportion, said covering, and said springs, to secure said springs to theupper and lower ends of said legging and to secure said body portion andsaid covering together, said covering and springs extending rearwardlybeyond each edge of said body portion, and reinforcing metal barsconnecting the ends of said springs, said covering extending beyond theends of said springs on one side of the legging to form a flap toprotect the back portion of the leg of the wearer.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 16th day ofDecember,'A. D.

EDISON L. WHEELER.

